DETROIT — The MAC held its football media day inside the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit on Thursday morning. The building has been home to many great productions for the past 95 years, however, no one expects Western Michigan football to be a headliner of any kind under first year head coach Lance Taylor.
The Broncos were picked to last in the MAC West in the preseason coaches poll, and WMU is ready to put on a show in the fall.
"A lot of people are going to look at the rankings and count us out, but you know, we know who we are," Western Michigan junior offensive lineman Jacob Gideon said. "We know what we can do. We just have to put our head down and work."
If anyone knows about hard work, it's the Broncos leader Lance Taylor, who had to fight for a walk-on spot on Alabama's football team in the early 2000's. This underdog mentality is nothing new for the WMU head honcho.
"I know that I have to fight every single day that I wake up for respect and earn everything that we are going to get," Taylor said.
Taylor has already earned that respect from the Broncos in the locker room.
"I love him," Western Michigan redshirt junior defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland said. "I think he's a great coach. He attacks the details. I am very excited. I just can't wait to prove what we can do."
Western Michigan wants to prove the 2023 squad will move at a 'fast and furious' pace.
"I believe we attack the grass with everything we do," Taylor said. "In all three phrases, whether it is offense, defense or special teams even when we are out there for conditioning with workouts, we are going to attack the grass with passion and purpose."
The passion and purpose is evident in workouts at Waldo Stadium. If they keep showing that nose to the grindstone mentality, the Broncos believe the results will come.
"My expectation is they are going to work hard," Western Michigan athletic director Dan Bartholomae said. They are going represent the university really really well. We are all going to be really proud of them. They are going to get a little bit better every single day."
WMU can't wait to prove the doubters wrong.
"We'll just have to see what the Western Michigan Broncos are all about," Gideon said.
Western Michigan will open up the 2023 season under the bright lights in Kalamazoo against St. Francis on Thursday August 31.
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